As high school graduation approaches and many students are wondering what comes next for them, many of them know they'd rather get a job and start building a career instead of continuing the formal education process. Even so, these students may find that taking a year or so formally studying a vocation may be a nice way to give a fledgling career a little boost.

Many community colleges and institutes of technology around the country offer in-house and online technical schools as a standard part of their curriculum. These programs provide a very admirable way to learn the basics and job placement services are often a part of the agenda, too.

The studies of many trades are featured in community colleges and technical institutes and some of them are highly suited to learning online. These online technical schools must offer the same level of training and instruction that are required of schools in a classroom setting.

In the United States, the standards of education, including that of online technical schools headquartered within a particular state, are established by the state's bureau of education. The standards for all schools operating lawfully within the state are the same, regardless of the format of delivery.

Even though education standards are established by the individual states, the federal government sets guidelines that states must follow for all schools, including online technical schools.

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act was established to ensure requirements of accountability for online technical schools and other vocational-type school environments. Federal funding is allocated to schools that meet the Act's standards and students themselves can often quality for financial assistance when enrolled in education programs covered under this Act.

Online technical schools are part of the scope of the Perkins Act but the US Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education also oversees the operation of vocational schools.

And another entity involved with the educational accreditation process governing online technical schools is the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).

Make sure any school of interest identifies its affiliation with these programs to best ensure a quality education.